Saturday at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodríguez delivered championship-defining moments as Lando Norris surged to a commanding pole position while title rival Oscar Piastri struggled badly. From the Briton’s FP3 dominance to his stunning qualifying performance, day two showcased why Mexico City remains one of F1’s most challenging venues. What unfolded during the final practice and qualifying sessions? Let us here at Supercars.com.GH explain!
FP3
Lando Norris delivered a statement of intent by topping FP3 with a commanding 1:16.633, finishing more than three-tenths clear of Lewis Hamilton as title rivals Oscar Piastri and Max Verstappen struggled in fifth and sixth. The McLaren driver’s dominance suggested he had found crucial pace overnight.
Lewis Hamilton impressed by claiming second for Ferrari despite multiple moments, running deep at Turn 4 twice, and taking to the grass at Turn 1. The seven-time champion became the first driver to break the 1m 17s barrier before Norris’s stunning late effort pushed him down to second.
George Russell completed the top three for Mercedes but complained about “sliding all over the place” on medium tires, highlighting the challenging conditions at altitude. His teammate Kimi Antonelli finished seventh despite running over exit curbs at Turn 12 during his flying lap.
Piastri’s struggles intensified as he finished six-tenths behind Norris, struggling to find pace throughout the session. Verstappen also endured difficulties, complaining about “no grip, front and rear” while finishing sixth, suggesting Red Bull’s Friday advantage had evaporated.
Qualifying
Norris delivered a masterclass performance by claiming pole position with a stunning 1:15.586, finishing 0.262s ahead of Charles Leclerc in a dominant display that left his championship rivals trailing. The Briton admitted he was “very pleasantly surprised” when he saw his final lap time.
Charles Leclerc briefly held provisional pole in Q3 with a brilliant opening lap, but Norris responded magnificently on his second run to snatch P1. Lewis Hamilton secured third for Ferrari, while George Russell claimed fourth for Mercedes ahead of Max Verstappen’s Red Bull in fifth.
Piastri suffered a nightmare qualifying session, finishing eighth, nearly eight-tenths behind his teammate and reporting “something weird happened” with his power unit during Q2. The championship leader’s struggles marked a concerning continuation of his recent difficulties.
Q1 featured impressive performances from Isack Hadjar, who topped the segment with a 1:16.733 for Racing Bulls, and Ollie Bearman, who momentarily went fastest for Haas. Alex Albon suffered elimination after his lap time was deleted for track limits, while both Alpine drivers failed to progress.
Liam Lawson endured a disastrous Q2 by failing to set a representative time after going wide on his first attempt and aborting his second run. The New Zealander’s elimination in the 15th marked a major setback for Racing Bulls after Hadjar’s Q1 heroics.
Can Norris capitalize on his dominant pole position to gain crucial championship ground? Join Supercars.com.GH tomorrow to find out!